The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-25

''. y hhfffH NNhL - W.
ligeni life, we are reminded OF the utter
ancc Of a great mind that had itS dwelling
place upon our little earth and looked OIL
into The depths apd the mysteries oil space
and time:
! mn an acme Of thlngs accomplished, and ] an In
closer Of things To DE.
My feet strike an apex Of the aplccs 81 the stairs.
on oycry step punches OF ages aud larger punches
And below duly Travelled, and etlll | mount aud
mount
Rise after rise bow the phnnioms behind me.
AiT down | see the huge inst Nothing, kho" l
waited unseen and always. and slept through the
And took my time, and took no hurt from the fetd
Clrhou.'
Walt whltmau's "Song Of Myself
Our comet pcnetratcs the misty depths
Of an outlying nebular cloud belonging 10
this marvellous system, under the inilu-
cnce II some sun within; and here we end
ourselves plunged into chaos itself Around
us surge the atoms which, in obedience TO
laws that are equally potcntand irresistible
from one end OF the universe 10 the other,
must in time associate themselves into or
glnizcd bodies, and nclOsc with delicate en-
vironmpnt the precincts OF conscious lille.
We arr running another fearful risk, but
va have faced so many perils that We are
becoming hardened to them. In rushing
through the ncbula the comet experiences
n resistance 10 its motion which, II long
enough continued, will end by bringing II
down upon the mysterious run whose at.
traction has drawn II into this realm Of
chaos. Aud presently We see that the sun
whose attraction has us in It's grasp il Sit
uatcd at the center of the nebula into
which We have plunged. 1t is clear that
Il IL slowly drawing 10 itself all the nebular
matter around IT, Whether any of that
matter will escape condensation into the
central sun and ~ form planets is a qucs-
ton that we cannot determine In the com
parJtiycly brief period Of our visit. The
comet plows MS way along with increasing
speed, turns its goal, leaving n silvcry
wake in the ocean Of atoms, and then
moves outward aguin, and slowly leaves
the ncbula like a faint cloud behind IL.
Al the mafycls OF the system Of which
this particular nebula was, as we have
said, hut an o%utlicr, gradually growing
fainter 10 the view rs once morc we sweep
out into the emptiness Of space.
Our course now lies in such n direction
that IL is certain we shall, II we keep on,
pas beyond the regions into which the
AAAHN NHNNNNANA - ~ hAiNARl"e
have been able 10 penetrate, out into the
utterly unknown cNplnse Of-what shall
Ne call itg-that bounds the visible uni.
verse. The stars and star clusters, the
nebulc, and all the celestial systems with
In reach OF human cycsight, belong 10 one
grand cOsmical system or universe. But
there cy,sight ends; beyond only dark.
ness il visible" What il outsider Do
other uniyerscs lie beyond? II our comet
continues in It's present course We are likely
Ia solve these questions. Already we have
arrived NJ the frontiers. Heretofore, whcr.
ever we have wandered, the starry heavens
have been all about us. The stars and the
nchule have seemed illimitably distant; IL
has required thousands and millions Of
years for us 10 pass from one 10 another,
! yet all the time W have been in the midst
of them. Now this II changed. We begin
to perceive that We ara leaving them be-
hind Ms, and breasting our way into a
black sea Of nOthingncSs which en-
cOmppssCs them. Now they are all
ON one side 81 US, and becoming
smaller and fainter. drawing apparently
/ closer together, as the shipping in u harbor
contracts a. the eyes that watch IL from q
rrcrding vessel. We recall with n shudder
Richtcrs dream 81 the Universe, and
like him We "trcmblc at the thought Of
the illimitablc dungeon Of pure, pure dark
ness which here begins To- imprison the
creation" Columbus sailors were fright
ened by the unknown and mysterious
ocean before Uhcm-a morr film upon n
spcrk OF rock. How insignificant their
terror seems la comparison With ours In
| the iacc ut this amending outer darkness
We look back longingly to the fading gal.
ANY behind NJ. nov bccome only n gicam
! oi trembling light. We cry out 10 rrturn
homo MOTTO the earth. for that has proba-
bis persisted long ago.. and Il would seem
y pretty dwelling place for us now, but To
that starry universe In which W were
born. This outer ~cNIanse. this infinite
rylcss Gull VI n%othinrncss, oycrpOwers M,
smothcn us In H. bltcknoss. We gasp like
drowning men: thought itself is stuffed.
Hut there Is hope. Surely the comet IL
turning. Il not the distant CLEAN OF our
lost armament dimly visible agnin3 Yes,
and II brightcns slowly, with agc-long
stops, vet IL iops brighten. Wearv home
ward bound We shall not be- swallowed
up In the outer darkness, hut shall see stars
aud suns aud smiling planets again.
Aud now, ~ We draw IN closer to the
shores of the universe, how glorious APP
pears the shining II that great star whose
attraction Is evidently the chigi impulse oi
our motion, which has reached outa strong
hand 10 ~. ~ II u had heard our despair
ing cry aud ptticl ~ lost ones We rvcOg'
niEc H. II IL the glory Of the armament; u
H. peerless Sirius itself. On W. rush; al
b,idy the stars arr about us once iunrc.
We have passed the scntinels the froniicn
inclu~c ~, tho pcoplcl universe cnwmp'
NJ. Faster W. 20. aud Il ecomcl, awaken
Ing to life, begins 90 tuil behind the wax
ing ]splrndOrs ~ its train.
Tie ihrphhing energies OF mighty SinuI
thrill ID with electric force. Never las !
appeared ~ splendid. We dart In anon
he ]thrunging planets Of this wondrous SUI
and feel the s~tupcndous power ct it- radia
: ton ~ We swing around H.. But whn
means lhis7 We are M longer irtvclinl
. IN % hyprfholic ~ ven u paubolic path
Tho comets track has become an cllipsc
1, II h. u prisoner b. Sirius, around which
7 must hcncriorth rryolyc %iorrycrl We an
, lot after M many csrapcs' Hut no, ne
! lost. our little solar system enjoys ~
longer the light of its piguy sun, and "
who have cnmprrhrndcd the glprcs Of III
4 universe would not wish Ia return To Il
I, ID did. We are not lo-t but saved, ior her
, W. an, back In the universe that gave u
4 birth. and our comet has became a Sitellil
ui its gandr-t sun.
/, Nri. never shall W. forget how fplcndi
/, a home the little earth WIS In thr-im.
time. G,uuErr y. sEHviss.
7 BLACK CnRisTMAs.
q. n. \.
IL und1t dfbh dom you usah